Planning Bill vote postponed again

Michael Donnelly, PlanningResource, 5 June 2008

Houses of Parliament

The vote had been scheduled to take place this Monday (9 June) after having already been delayed from last Monday.

MP’s will vote on key clauses in the bill including the setting up of an Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) which has been met with fierce criticism from MPs over issues of democracy and accountability.

On Monday more 60 Labour MPs, backed by the Conservatives, tabled an amendment to keep the ministerial veto on major planning applications such as power stations and airports.

A DCLG spokesperson said: "This is a major - and complex - piece of legislation. It introduces an entirely new planning system for a range of major infrastructure projects, replacing eight different existing infrastructure consent regimes. 

"A number of important issues have been raised about the process of legislation which merit consideration. The government is committed to getting this legislation right. And we therefore think it right that we should listen to these concerns.

"The government remains firmly committed to this important package of reforms to the planning system. We believe that we can address the issues that have been raised without compromising our overall proposals and are aiming to bring the bill back to the House shortly so that it can complete its report stage."

Labour MP Clive Betts, who tabled the amendment, said: "I suspect the delay is because they had concerns about what would have happened on Monday.

"The IPC has a job to do but at the end of the day the final decision should rest with the minister. Having an unelected body deciding on nuclear power stations is nonsense."

He added that there was unease amongst MPs about the number of times major powers have been handed to unelected bodies over recent years.

A Friends of the Earth spokesperson welcomed the government’s decision: "The Government wants to fast-track major developments - such as airports, roads and power stations - through the planning system without considering their impact on climate change and with little regard for local opinion.

"Ministers must listen to the mounting concern, and put people and the planet at the heart of our planning system."

MPs will debate the Climate Change Bill on Monday instead.